Swivel tube connection for fire extinguishers



June 25, 1968 J. w. HOWARD SWIVEL TUBE CONNECTION FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Filed Dec. 30, 1965 INVENTOR. John W. Howard ATTORNEY m MM United States Patent 3,389,753 SWIVEL TUBE CONNECTlON FOR FIRE EXTINGUiSI-IERS John W. Howard, Charles Town, W. Va., assignor to Automatic Sprinkler Corporation of America, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Fiied Dec. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 517,622 3 Claims. (Cl. 16930) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A swivel tube connection for a fire extinguisher head positioning, supporting and establishing communication between a valved passageway in said fire extinguisher head and said swivel tube.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers and more particularly to fire extinguishers in which the fire extinguishing agent such as carbon dioxide, for example, is directed from the extinguisher to a fire by means of a swivel type horn.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a swivel tube connection for a fire extinguisher that is of simple economic construction and which will provide a free and uniform swivel or pivoting action between the fire extinguisher and a discharge horn.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a swivel tube construction for a fire extinguisher which reinforces the swivel tube at its point of engagement with the fire extinguisher.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a swivel tube connection for a fire extinguisher which provides a rotating member journalled in the fire extinguisher head and extending into the swivel tube and engaging the same so as to desirably position the swivel tube relative to the fire extinguisher head.

The swivel tube connection for fire extinguishers disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to portable fire extinguishers wherein the fire extinguishing agent is discharged from the fire extinguisher through a valve in the head thereof and by way of a swivel tube communicating with a directional horn. Such fire extinguishers are commonly employed in connection with the use of carbon dioxide and/or dry chemicals for the extinguishment of fires and the swivel tube connections heretofore known in the art and used in similar portable fire extinguishers have had a common problem in maintaining a suitable freely swivelling action between the swivel tube and the fire extinguisher while at the same time maintaining an unobstructed passageway for the fire extinguishing agent.

The present invention provides a transverse passageway in the fire extinguisher head which passageway communicates with the valve chamber in the head and thus is in a position to receive the fire extinguishing agent when released by the valve.

The present invention mounts a hollow threaded bolt in the transverse passageway in the fire extinguisher head and secures the swivel tube to the threaded portion of the bolt to establish a highly desirable connection therebetween. Transverse openings in the hollow bolt establish communication with the valve chamber in the fire extinguisher head so that the fire extinguishing agent will freely enter the hollow bolt and flow therethrough into the swivel tube. The construction is such that the hollow bolt reinforces the swivel tube and that end thereof engaged partially within the transverse passageway in the fire extinguisher head and the entire device is freely rotatable in the head and at the same time liquid tight due to O-ring sealing members incorporated in the construction.

3,389,753 Patented June 25, 1968 With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawin g, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section through a fire extinguisher head.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detailed elevation with parts broken away illustrating a portion of the device seen in FIGURES 1 and 2.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that the fire extinguisher head comprises a body member having an exteriorly threaded depending annular boss 11 which in turn has a bushing 12 threaded into the lower end thereof.

The bushing 12 provides for the connection of a dip tube extending into the fire extinguisher if desired and the exteriorly threaded boss 11 engages a threaded collar in the fire extinguisher to establish connection therewith as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

A passageway 13 extends through the boss and upwardly into the head 10 and a portion thereof defines a valve seat 14. The passageway 13 above the valve seat 14 communicates with a transverse passageway 15. A vertical extension of the passageway 13 movably positions a valve element and actuating plunger 16. The upper end of the valve element and actuating plunger 16 extends out of the fire extinguisher head and adjacent to a handle 17 which is pivotally secured to the fire extinguisher head 10 by a pivot pin 18. A secondary handle 19 positioned below the handle 17 is attached to the fire extinguisher head 10 by means of a rivet 20. A look pin 21 positioned through depending portions of the handle 17 normally engages the upper end of a safety nut 22 which positions a safety disc 23 in fluid tight relation to a safety vent in the fire extinguisher head 10. A coil spring 24 normally biases the valve element and plunger 16 to a closed position as seen in FIGURE 1.

It will thus be seen that when the fire extinguisher head 10 is positioned in the neck of a cylindrical fire extinguisher, for example, the pressurized contents of the fire extinguisher will flow upwardly when the valve element and plunger 16 is opened and into the transverse passageway 15.

By referring now to FIGURE 2 of the drawing, it will be seen that the transverse passageway rotatably positions a hollow bolt 25 which has an enlarged head 26 and an oppositely disposed threaded extension 27. The bolt 25 and its threaded extension 27 are longer than the transverse passageway 15 so that When the threaded extension 27 of the hollow bolt 25 is threadably engaged in the end of a swivel tube 28 the tube will be engaged a substantial distance beyond the end of the transverse passageway 15 in the fire extinguisher head 10 and thereby reinforced and supported. The end portion of the swivel tube 28 which is not threaded and is of an inner diameter snugly fitting the unthreaded portion of the hollow bolt 25 will thus be received within the transverse passageway 15 and in abutment with a sealing O-ring 29. A similar sealing O-ring 30 is positioned between the annular head 26 of the hollow bolt 25 and the transverse passageway 15 and it will be observed that the middle portion of the transverse passageway 15 in the fire extinguisher head 10 is of a lesser diameter than the outer ends thereof which provide for suitable journalling and retention of the hol- 3 low bolt 25 and the swivel tube 28 when assembled as described and shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the opposite end of the swivel tube 28 (not shown) usually includes the right angle bend and extends a distance of several inches and communicates with the smaller end of a directional horn through which fire extinguishing agent in the fire extinguisher is desirably directed when the fire extinguisher is used.

By referring now to FIGURES I, 2 and 3 of the drawings it will be seen that the hollow bolt 25 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 31 positioned inwardly from the head 26 and communicating with the hollow interior thereof so as to provide a, passageway for a fire extinguishing agent flowing from the upper end of the passageway 13 in the fire extinguisher head into the transverse passageway in which the hollow bolt 25 is located.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that regardless of the position of the swivel tube 28 and the hollow bolt 25 to which it is afiixed one or more of the openings 31 will always be in a position to establish communication between the passageway 13 and the interior of the swivel tube 28.

It will thus be seen that a swivel tube connection for portable fire extinguishers has been disclosed which meets the several objects of my invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A swivel tube connection for a portable fire extin guisher head, said head having intersecting passageways therethrough, valve means in one of said passageways and a rotatable hollow bolt positioned in the other one of said passageways, said hollow bolt having openings transversely thereof registering with said valved passageway, the head of said hollow bolt engaging said fire extinguishing head and holding the bolt against longitudinal movement in one direction in said passageway, while permitting rotary movement thereof, the opposite end of said hollow bolt extending exteriorly of said fire extinguisher head,

a tube positioned on said exterior portion of said hollow bolt and engaging said fire extinguisher head and holding said bolt against longitudinal movement in an opposite direction.

2. The improvement in a swivel tube connection for a portable fire extinguisher set forth in claim 1 and wherein said other passageway in said fire extinguisher head has a central portion of smaller diameter than the opposite end portions thereof and wherein the opposite end portions communicate with the opposite outer surfaces of said fire extinguisher head and wherein the head of said hollow bolt is positioned within one end of said other passageway adjacent said area of smaller diameter and wherein the end of said tube is positioned in the opposite end of said other passageway in said fire extinguisher head and adjacent the opposite end of said area of smaller diameter therein and wherein sealing elements are positioned between the opposite ends of said area of smaller diameter and the head of the hollow bolt and the end of said tube respectively.

3. The swivel tube connection for a portable fire extinguisher as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the valved passageway is positioned vertically and axially of said fire extinguisher head and said other passageway is horizontally disposed transversely of said head at one side of said valved passageway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,532,774 4/1925 Page 285- 2,066,290 12/1936 Hill, et a1. 1693l 2,549,643 1/1949 Hartley 285-190 2,674,325 4/ 1954 Siebens 169-31 3,244,439 4/1966 Montesi 285190 X M. HENSON WOOD, IR., Primary Examiner.

H. NATTER, Assistant Examiner. 

